YEKATERINBURG, February 19. /TASS/. Deliveries of Russia’s heavy-lift Upyr-18 drone to the troops will increase significantly owing to its effective use on the front, Vladimir Tkachuk, CEO of Uraldronzavod Plant, said.

"The feedback [from the military] is excellent. The Defense Ministry has responded and will increase its orders significantly," he said in response to a question about the Upyr-18's performance in the special military operation zone.

He added that the company’s other innovation is being considered by the enemy as a "strike by an unknown type of UAV." "Therefore, we won’t reveal anything now, but we will definitely announce it later," Tkachuk said on the sidelines of a United Russia party forum in Yekaterinburg.

The Upyr-18 drones, named for their 18-inch frame, are capable of carrying a 10-kilogram mine tens of kilometers away, hitting fortified dugouts and enemy positions.

The Uraldronzavod enterprise was founded in the Sverdlovsk Region by the creators of the Upyr (Ghoul) FPV drone. Russian troops are using the Ural-made drone to target landing craft on the Dnieper River, as well as enemy fortifications, dugouts, and strongholds. In March 2024, the Upyr destroyed an American Abrams tank, several Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and other armored vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces. The drone is known as a people’s drone, as it was developed and put into production with financial support from Russian citizens. It is now being supplied to the troops in batches.